1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus, often used under pressure, for carrying out chemical reactions, generally in the presence of at least one catalyst, for example solid, in at least one reaction zone equipped with heat exchanger plates which make it possible to control the temperature of this reaction zone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When the temperature of the reaction must be kept within relatively narrow limits, it is known to place in the catalytic bed a heat transfer apparatus, either based on tubes (GB-2,046,618), or based on plates (U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,423) or based on grids (U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,807), and to cause a fluid to flow inside this apparatus for the heat transfer and commonly called heat-carrying fluid.
The disadvantage in the use of a tube heat transfer apparatus is due to the fact that the connection between these individual tubes is very cumbersome and that, consequently, fitting the assembly is very difficult to carry out correctly inside the reactor. The disadvantage of the plate heat transfer apparatus of the patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,423 is its size and its low efficiency. To be able to withstand the reaction pressure, the plates are only partially hollowed out and the heat-carrying fluid thus has only a small portion of the surface of the plates available for carrying out its exchange work.